Want to Find Your Dog’s Currency? Here’s How to Do It
We all like rewards, don’t we? So do dogs. While most of these pawsome animals are fond of treats, some are more attracted to other rewards.
The key is to find the “currency” of your dog, what they find most valuable. It might be a treat, it might be a ball to fetch, or anything else.
Currency: What is it?
Currency is something that speaks to your dog, that they find valuable, and can be a good reinforcer when training your dog.
Terms of currency
Valuable: something that your dog actually wants and cares about
Reinforcer: something that tells your dog that they did something good or acted in a correct manner, so they will get that valuable thing, hence, they will repeat that behavior
- What’s important about understanding your dog’s currency?
- Different dogs have different currencies
- It’s vital to know what motivates your dog, so you can use that to train them
- They will repeat what you reinforce. So, it’s important to reward them when they do what you want them to do
Different types of reinforcers
- Praise
- Attention
- Food
- Toys
Can you try different reinforcers for your dog?
- While your furiend’s top level of currency might be food, doesn’t mean you cannot try something else like toys
- When you are asking your dog to do something really difficult or perhaps in a new environment, use your dog’s favorite reinforcer
- When you are practicing behaviors that your dog is familiar with, you can try other reinforcements
Go on, it’s time to figure out your dog’s currency.
